“New album, after 23 years, for Meriden’s Loren Evarts
Published: November 8, 2015
By Farrah Duffany Record-Journal staff
MERIDEN — It’s been nearly 23 years since musician Loren Evarts recorded an album of his own work and in October, Evarts was able to squash the dry-spell with a newly finished CD called “Water and Light.”
“I wanted to have something that represented what I’ve done for a while,” said Evarts, a Meriden resident. “The last thing I put out was a cassette.”
For Evarts, a piano and keyboard player, he said the album doesn’t really fit a “category,” but is a close to contemporary, instrumental music.
“It’s piano based and it’s got Celtic influences and world influences and some jazz influences,” he said. “It’s my own music.”
A favorite song on the album of Evarts is “The Cat and the Moon” which was inspired by an Irish literature course his son was studying. One day Evarts decided to go through his book of poems by William Butler Yeats and a poem stood out to him and he created a song based off of it.
Longtime friend, trumpet player and percussionist, Don Hackett has played with Evarts through the years and occasionally play in a jazz group together.
“(Evarts) has always been a very gifted musician back in middle school and high school, everyone else was learning to play their instrument and he was writing horn arrangements for the band he put together,” said Hackett, an East Haven resident. “We’ve played together ever since.”
The CD was recorded in the spring of 2015 at Imaginary Road Studios in Vermont by Grammy Award winning producer Will Ackerman, as well as Tom Eaton.
“I just emailed him,” said Evarts of Ackerman. “It took me a while to do it, I was nervous about it. He was very accommodating and welcoming.”
Besides recording his own music in his spare time, Evarts also teaches music for five colleges in online courses such as American music history, music appreciation, and occasional jazz courses. He’s been teaching for nearly 14 years.
“It keeps me busy,” he said.
The album’s title “Water and Light” was an inspiration from one of his first releases called “Water Music” in 1985. Then after seeing the cover of the CD made by his brother-in-law, the words “Water and Light” came to him.
Evarts hopes that his album release at the age of 57 will inspire others his age to do more and express themselves.
“I wanted to do something at my age and I thought maybe people of my age group can still do things creatively and put things out there,” said Evarts. “I really did it for that reason, just to do it. I didn’t necessary do it to make a big hit.”
”
- Farrah Duffany

“
BRANFORD >> Veteran Connecticut musician Loren Evarts, who has a new CD out, will perform at First Baptist Church of Branford, 975 Main St., Sunday at 2 p.m.
The CD (contemporary with elements of Celtic, world music and jazz/new age) was recorded at Will Ackerman’s (Windham Hill Records) Imaginary Road studio in Vermont, said his friend Don Hackett of New Haven Chorale. Some featured players on the CD are Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) and Rhonda Larson (Paul Winter).
Hackett will handle percussion with Jonny Allen for the concert, with Bob Lancio on fretless bass and Tim Moran on woodwinds.
A free-will donation is asked for admission.”
- Joe Amarante